Coming into Duke’s summer workouts, the rotation looked loaded. Returnees like Isaiah Evans, Maliq Brown, Patrick Ngongba II, and Darren Harris gave the staff a solid foundation. Add in the powerhouse 2025 freshman class, and things felt more crowded than competitive.
But just one week into practice, that narrative’s flipped. Fast.
All eyes were on five-stars Cameron Boozer, Dame Sarr, and Nik Khamenia — and for good reason. Boozer, one of the most heralded recruits in years, looks every bit the future NBA lottery pick. Sarr’s scoring flashes have already made waves. Khamenia, fresh off USA U19 duty, brings an advanced feel most freshmen don’t possess. Even reclassified forward Sebastian Wilkins and steady twin Cayden Boozer are showing they belong.
Still, none of them were supposed to immediately shake up the depth chart. The expectation was patience. Gradual impact. Let the veterans lead.
But now? One of them is doing a lot more than fitting in — he’s pushing out.
In scrimmages, he’s outscoring older teammates. In drills, he’s out-competing them. And in the film room, his name keeps surfacing in breakdowns of winning plays — help-side blocks, perfectly timed cuts, extra passes, defensive rotations.
Coaches are noticing. Teammates are reacting. And whispers are growing louder.
“Some guys just get it faster,” one Duke assistant reportedly said after practice. “He’s not waiting for minutes. He’s taking them.”
And that’s the problem Jon Scheyer now faces — a good one. With veterans like Isaiah Evans (6.8 PPG and a huge game vs. Auburn) and glue guys like Maliq Brown (15.7 MPG, 1.3 SPG), Duke already had a proven core. But this freshman’s emergence might force a reshuffle before the season even begins.
The plan was to ease him in. But his play is too loud to ignore.
The rotation was set.
Unless this practice star has something to say.
